1. Field of the Invention
The present invention describes an adhesive for use with silicone rubbers. More specifically, the present invention describes an adhesive which bonds silicone rubbers to organic materials.
2. Background Information
Due to their excellent heat resistance, silicone rubbers have been used in a broad range of applications in which rubbery elasticity is required at elevated temperatures. However, silicone rubber is rather expensive compared to general-purpose synthetic rubbers and general-purpose plastics and it is somewhat inferior to a variety of synthetic rubbers and plastics in its mechanical properties, steam resistance and chemical resistance, etc. In order to eliminate these disadvantages in cost and properties, use is frequently made of a unified composite in which silicone rubber is bonded to an organic material, in particular, to a synthetic rubber or plastic. For example, the surface of a cured silicone rubber is coated with another synthetic rubber or, conversely, the surface of another synthetic rubber is coated with silicone rubber. Alternatively, use is made of a silicone rubber molding in which a part is bonded to an engineering resin serving as the support.
However, silicone rubbers are generally difficult to bond to synthetic rubbers and plastics. In particular, the surface of cured silicone rubbers is inert so they cannot be bonded to synthetic rubbers or plastics or even to silicone rubber. Among synthetic rubbers and plastics, it is particularly difficult to bond synthetic polyolefin rubbers and polyolefin plastics to silicone rubbers. Due to this, the development is required of an effective adhesive.